Printing-machine.



M. SMITH.

PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 05c. 22. 1914.

Patented June 11, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

M. SMITH.

PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 05c. 22. 1914.

Patented Jmw 11, 1918.

4 SHEETSSHEET 2-' M. SMITH. I PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-22 I914- Patented June 11, 1918.

4 $HEETSSHEET 3- ,1 269 38? Patented June 11, 1918 M. SMITH.

PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 05022. I914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

" ens Anna onnrn. A

MARK SMITH, 0F REDDISH, NEAR STOCKIPORT, ENGLAND, ASSIGLNOR T0 TAYLORGARNETT EVANS & CO. LIMITED, 0F REDDISH, NEAR STOCKPOBT, ENGLAND.

PRINTING-MACHINE.

Application filed December 22, 1914. Serial No. 878,473.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, MARK SMITH, a subject ofthe King of Great Britain and Ireland, and a resident of Reddish, nearStockport, in the county of Lancaster, England, have invented new anduseful Improvements in Printing-Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention'relates to a printing machine for printing thick cards orsheets, or sheets of stiff material such as metal while they are in theflat condition.

In a printing machine constructed according to this invention the sheetto be printed is drawn in the fiat condition under an oscillatingprinting cylinder by means of a reciprocating open frame, provided withthe necessary .grippers and remains in the flat condition during theprinting, the sheet being supported by an impression cylinder.

If such a frame consists only of members which are greater distancesapart than the width of the sheet, the rear edge of the sheet will falldown as it leaves the impression cylinder and the grippers willultimately release the front edge so that the printed sheet falls downthrough the open frame printed face upward.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the application of my improvementto printing machines.

Figure 1 represents in central vertical cross section an offsetlithographic printing machine. I

Fig. 2 similarly illustrates a machine in which a litho or form cylinderprints directly on the sheet or card.

Fig. 3 is a plan vieW of an impression cylinder and an open gripperframe, and Fig. 4 shows mechanism for allowing the cylinders to be putout of contact while still rotating together.

Similar letters of reference are used to indicate similar parts wherethey occur in the different figures.

Referring first to Fig. 1 A is an impression cylinder, B an ofi'setortransfer cylinder, and C a litho or plate cylinder furnished with theusual inking rollers W and damping roller Y. The cylinders A, B, C,simultaneously oscillate to roll in contact or cooperation with eachother where their surfaces permit. D is one side of an open frame. Thesides of this frame are wider apart than the lengths of the cylindersand Patented June llil, 1931B.

the width of the card or sheet to be printed (see also Fig. 3) and areformed as racks to gear with spur wheels fastened to the shaft of theoffset cylinder B. Thus aS this cylinder oscillates the racks and theopen frame reciprocate. Secured across and to the reciprocating frame isa gripper 1E composed of the two parts 6 6 one part 6 being movable andbeing operated to open from or close upon the part c in any manner usualor suitable in printing machines. When the frame D and its grippers arein the right hand position of Fig. l the grippers are brought in frontof a feed table F. A card or sheet is now fed upon and against themovable stop G and the grippers E close upon it. At the same time thestop G rises out of the path of' the sheet. This state is shown inFig. 1. As the frame, moves to the left carrying the grippers and thecard with it, and the offset roller B rotates with a clockwise movementof rotation, the card is drawn in between the ofiset cylinder B and theimpression cylinder A and is printed while it retains its flatcondition. When the card has. been drawn completely through the nip ofthe impression and offset cylinders and is brought over the deliverytable B it is released from its grippers so that it can fall downthrough the frame on to the table printed face upward. The traverse ofthe frame to the left is so great that the rollers A, B, C, make eachabout a rotation and oneeighth. The racks and the frame D then commencetheir return-movement to resume their positions indicated in Fig. 1, thecylinders moving in the reverse direction to obtain another transferfrom the litho cylinder to the offset cylinder for the latter to printupon another card when the frame D again moves to the left of Fig. 1.

'The cylinders A, B and C are so spaced apart that the offset cylindercan not be in contact with both the others at the same time,, and soalso that it can be rotated out ordinary manner. L is a rod actuatedfrom any convenient part of the mechanism of the machine, and M a leverconnected at one end to and capable of bein actuated by said rod. It issecured at its ot er end to a bush lllltl the shaft of the cylinder Band thus raise or lllt lower the cylinder. When the lever M ishorizontal, the cylinder B is out of contact with A and C. When it isdepressed below the horizontal B is in contact with. A but out ofcontact with C. When it is raised above the horizontal B is in contactwith C but out of contact with A. The clearance when the lever M ishorizontal is not more than one-sixteenth of an inch between twoadjacent cylinders and consequently, although the cylinder B is movable,the gear wheels are always in mesh. During the printing stroke of thegripper frame D to the left,'the ofi'set cylinder is lowered to come inprintin rinted and remains in its lowered position during the whole ofthe printing stroke of the frame. When the frame commences to return tothe right the ofi set cylinder is raised and rotates in the oppositedirection and is brought. into contact with-the plate cylinder C so thatduring this return rotation of the cylinder B it will receive animpression from the plate cylinder C. In this raised condition thecylinder B remains until it has about returned to the osition of Fig. 1when it is. again lowered or the printing stroke and-a next impression.There is thus a double inking of the plate cylinder C for eachimpression given to the offset cylinder. Devices for thus raising andlowering cylinders are well known in printin The machine may also beprovided with a device to be operated by the attendant to insure thatthe ofi'set cylinder remains in its intermediate position and out ofcontact with either of the others should'a sheet be missed and thegripper frame take its printing stroke without a sheet.

The appliances for releasing the printed sheet fromthe grippers may beany usual in printing machines.

contact with the sheet being machines.

eam

The driving power may be applied through a reciprocating rack J gearingwith a pinion K on the shaft of the impression cylinder A. The gripperframe is mounted in suitable guides so that it has a linear motion fromright to left and vice versa .in

Fig. 1.

The various cylinders are preferably of such-diameters that'only abouthalf of the peripheral surface of each is brought into use. Theremainders of such surfaces may be cut away as shown in the drawings.

Fig. 2 illustrates a direct printing litho machine, the offset cylinderbeing dispensed with and the litho cylinder C printing direct upon thecard which is drawn over the impression cylinder. The remaining parts ofthe machine are of the same construction and operation as those shown inFig. 1, with the exception that the impression cylinder is the one whichcan be raised and lowered, in the usual way.

Claim l A printing machine adapted to print sheets or cards in flatform,"comprising two oscillatory cylinders each of said cylinders havinga cylindrical surface adapted to register with the corresponding.surface of the other cylinder as the cards or sheets pass between saidcylinders, and each of said cylinders being cut-awa so as" to provide aspace between said cylin ers when said cylindrical surfaces are out ofcontact with each other,

a reciprocating frame, grippers mounted on said frame for gripping thesheet or card and drawing it between said cylinders, said frame havingan opening therein of sufficient size to permit the printed sheet orcard to'fall through the frame upon being released from said cylinders,said grippers being adapted to pass between said cylinders through thespace provided by cutting the portions of said cylinders, means forreciprocating the frame, and means for releasing the grippers.

In witness whereof ll have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

MARK SMITH.

Witnesses:

I ERNALD SIMrsoN MosELnY,

MALCOLM SMErHnnsr.

